Vineland mayor recall effort fizzles

VINELAND – Mayor Ruben Bermudez has ridden out an effort to force him from office in just the second year of his first term.

The Committee to Recall Mayor Ruben Bermudez failed to deliver signed petitions requesting a special recall election to the City Clerk's Office before it closed on Tuesday afternoon, according Clerk Keith Petrosky.

The deadline of close of business at City Hall on Tuesday was a revised deadline to submit signed petitions. The date was set in a state court ruling.

The committee had to turn in a minimum of 9,447 petitions, each signed by a registered voter who also resides in Vineland. The clerk's role then would be to certify those signatures and, if they were valid, to set a date for a recall election.

Bermudez, who was in his office when the deadline expired, said he had no comment.

It is not known how many signed petitions were collected. The committee hasn't disclosed its progress since appearing in Cumberland County Superior Court on June 5 seeking an extension to the original May 19 submission deadline.

At that time, testimony indicated the committee had 5,119 signatures "that comply" with state law and another 2000 to 3,000 signatures still needing to be vetted for compliance.

Under New Jersey law, there is nothing stopping the committee or anyone else from initiating another recall drive.

The recall committee had five official members who had to register with the city. They were: Tami Harold of North Sixth Street, John Brown of South East Boulevard, Delfin Cuevas Jr. of North West Avenue, Joaquin "Tony" Centeno of North Delsea Drive and Bienvenido "Beney" Soto of West Montrose Street.

Centeno was at the City Council workshop meeting Tuesday but said he had no comment. A call to Harold was not returned.

However, other residents were central to pushing the effort including used car salesman Moises Afanador. Afanador did not return a call.

Former Mayor Robert Romano, still smarting from losing the 2012 runoff election to Bermudez, also was a supporter.

Romano intended to enter the recall election if it was scheduled. He, too, did not return a call.

There was no discussion of the recall at the council meeting.

The recall effort officially started last fall. On Nov. 22, 2013, Harold and Afanador hand-delivered to the clerk a "Notice of Intention."

That notice included a short statement of reasons why the group sought a recall election. The group accused Bermudez of neglecting his duties, gross misuse of the office and incompetence, which in combination "has had an adverse effect upon the city and citizens of Vineland."

On Nov. 26, 2013, Petrosky found that the paperwork was correctly completed.

In response and as allowed by state law, Bermudez then submitted an official response calling the drive a waste of money.

What happened: The Committee leading attempt to recall Mayor Ruben Bermudez failed to turn in petitions with the required 9,447 signatures by Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline

What's next: There will be no recall election. If residents want to recall the mayor, they must start another petition from scratch and collect thousands of new signatures.